Results 9,841-9,860 of 25,999 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Did Deputy Murphy ever vote for a development plan?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Does the Deputy oppose the supply of 597 homes?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Does the Deputy oppose the provision of 597 homes?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his valid question. All of us hope that we do not have to move up further through the levels. Work is ongoing with regard to other measures that may have to be taken in the future, particularly if it was a level 5 event. I earnestly hope that will not be the case. I know the Deputy is aware of the protections that are in place under the Residential Tenancies and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, published its quarterly report on 2 October and within that are some of the facts that pertain to the positive effect within the market of the new protections and the new legislation the Government brought forward. As a result of the legislation we are now able to track the number of 28-day warning letters for rent arrears issued. We were not able to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: From the medical advice that we are given there is no question that people moving through society during a virus pandemic enhances the risk of its spread. That is the reason measures were taken by the previous Oireachtas and why further measures have been taken here to protect tenants. It is something that we will watch. Significant permanent changes were made in the Residential Tenancies...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Funding (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. Funding local government is a serious issue and something all of us want to ensure because they have had a very tough time. I take this opportunity to thank the staff in the 31 local authorities across the country who have gone above and beyond the call of duty during this pandemic. Our citizens saw the commitment of the women and men in local authorities to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Funding (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I would not want to ruin the surprise for the Deputy. To be serious, because this is serious, staff and services are being provided to our citizens across the Twenty-six Counties. A couple of points arise. The €600 million waiver provided is not insignificant. Colleagues will agree that significant work and negotiation were required to ensure a waiver of 100%. In early April,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 46 and 47 together. I thank the Deputies. The programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to reducing and preventing homelessness and provides detail on how the Government will approach it as a priority. This year, we are seeing a reduction in the numbers of people in emergency accommodation. That is to be welcomed. Deputy Murphy's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I apologise.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: I will take the last question first. I agree with the Deputy. I have already met our delivery partners, the local authorities and the approved housing bodies. In any schemes that are brought to us, I want to see designs for community schemes that provide for a mix of units. I visited one such scheme yesterday with the Taoiseach in Balgriffin. More than half the units there are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: On Deputy Ó Murchú's question on Housing First, our priority is to expand it into the rest of the country on a singles basis first. Where local authorities such as Louth County Council have other plans, they should bring them forward and we will have a look at them. Our focus must be on tackling homelessness and expanding Housing First as it exists.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Referendum Campaigns (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The commitments in relation to constitutional reform in the programme for Government provide for the holding of a referendum on housing. My Department has begun the initial work on scoping the complex issues involved and will in due course make recommendations on how we might progress such a referendum. I do intend to, and will, consult with my colleagues in government as to the proposal...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing is available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government. This is a key priority of mine and since taking Office I have reviewed the situation on the ground in terms of supply, progress to date across the affordability measures and options for the expansion and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) provides capital funding to approved housing bodies (of up to 30%) in order to facilitate the construction, refurbishment and acquisition of new social housing homes. The homes are subsequently provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease arrangements known as Payment and Availability Agreements. In relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provided for a temporary moratorium on tenancy terminations, other than in exceptional and limited cases, and on all increases in rent during the emergency period from 27 March to 1 August 2020. The emergency measures aimed to assist in restricting the movement of people to suppress the spread of Covid-19 and applied to all...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the very stressful circumstances which owners and residents face when their homes are affected by construction defects. In general, building defects are matters for resolution between the contracting parties involved, the homeowner, the builder, the developer and/or their respective insurers, structural guarantee or warranty scheme. However, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: Over the past three years (2016-2019) the number of social homes delivered in Ireland has grown from 5,714 in 2016 to more than 10,000 in 2019. The number of new build homes has more than doubled from 2,965 to over 6,000 over the same period. In addition, almost 70,000 households have been supported in their homes through HAP/RAS. The effect of these measures can be demonstrated through...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (6 Oct 2020)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through general policy setting and preparing legislation,...